


Shadows of the Past

by Kyoukalay



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, College AU, Drama, F/F, F/M, Finding each other in a different life, Layemmy, Layemmyweek2020, Lemmyweek, Modern times, Prompt 2: AU, Reincarnation, Romance, Swearing, alcohol mention, lemmy - Freeform, multi-chapter fic, prompt, slight angst, spoilers for azran legacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27683930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyoukalay/pseuds/Kyoukalay
Summary: Hersh, or the ''prof'' as called by his friends, is enjoying university life until one day, when a girl named Emily appears. Something about her changes his life forever.Prompt 2 for Layemmyweek2020: AU
Relationships: Emmy Altava/Hershel Layton
Comments: 17
Kudos: 9
Collections: LayEmmy Week 2020





	1. Chapter 1

Hersh tried to focus on the story his friend was so eagerly telling him, but he couldn’t keep up. Something had been nagging at the back of his mind. Something he couldn’t place. He had never felt anything like it; like an unknown force was waiting to reveal itself. If he were to describe it, he would say it was kind of like a déjà vu, but from the future? He tried to explain it to his roommate before, but he didn’t understand at all. Not like he himself did either, but you know, it didn’t hurt to try. All day, ever since the feeling had started, he had been looking around; Waiting for said déjà vu to appear before him.

He realised he had stopped listening to his friend’s story again. Something about some party and this girl and what happened that night. Nothing new. That’s what every story went like around here at Gressenheller. Hersh was a second year history student who was still trying to figure life out. He liked helping out others with their study, giving him the nickname ‘’prof’’ which he didn’t really like all in all. 20 years of age, more brain than brawn and a lingering in the back of his mind that screamed for his attention.

‘’Hersh? Helloooo, are you even listening?’’

Crap. Busted.

‘’Sorry Jen, I’m just…’’ he mumbled, unsure what to say as he looked back at her.

‘’I know, I know,’’ Jenny sighed. ‘’You still got that future nonsense on your mind. I’m getting a drink.’’

He nodded and watched her walk away. They were currently hanging out at the bi-weekly TGIF get together the different student associations put together. In the first year, the get-togethers were a great way to get to know other people. In the later years; a place to just hang out or hook up. Hersh didn’t go to them usually, but today his good friends Jenny and Steve had been rather insistent. Speaking of, where the hell was Steve? He hadn’t seen him since the start of the evening. Maybe he picked up another cute girl. Or maybe he had found some others to socialise with. He had always been the extravert of the group.

He looked around the plaza; his gaze falling on the flickering fire pit in the middle. His eyelids felt heavy, the realisation striking him that it was probably late. From the fire he continued on through the crowds of people. Some were sitting on the grass, some were standing near the entrance to smoke, some were dancing to the music that another played on their phone, and most were just chilling. He liked the atmosphere this late in the evening. No-one would force him to drink or smoke or dance. Everyone was just enjoying their free time. His eyes had scanned the entire area, falling on a familiar bright blue coloured afro close to the fountain.

‘’What is he…?’’ Hersh frowned.

Steve was talking to someone. A girl? So that’s what he had been up to. He couldn’t quite see what the girl looked like, but Steve was gesturing up a storm. On second thought, they seemed to come over.

* * *

‘’Hey, you’re new aren’t you?’’ The tall boy with the neon blue coloured curls hovered close.

‘’I am,’’ she responded nervously. ‘’First year, Emily Shinobu. I, uh, heard from a friend that this is the place to meet people?’’

‘’It is! Nice to meet you Emily. My name is Steve, second year.’’ he grinned widely.

He seemed nice enough. Emily smiled and tugged a stray hair behind her ear. He was pretty handsome, but not entirely her type. Way too excited to her liking. Her best friend from highschool had urged her to try some new things at university, which she certainly was going to try! If she could…

Tonight, she had been hyping herself up in her dorm room for hours until she finally decided to pop out. Emily was rather shy, but she really needed to make some friends. Now, back to Steve.

‘’I haven’t seen you at any of the other gatherings,’’ Steve scratched his hair in deep thought. ‘’I wouldn’t miss such a beauty though, I’m sure of it.’’

He seemed confident.

‘’Er, well… This is my first…’’ Emily trailed off.

‘’Your first!? Well then I am going to be your chaperone for the evening madame!’’ He bowed down in an exaggerated manner and offered an arm for her to hold on to. ‘’Please allow me to introduce you to my friends at least. They are mostly second and third years, but they’re very kind! I promise.’’

He kinda sounded like a theater major with the strange influctuations in his tone of speech, but she couldn’t help but laugh. She could feel her heartbeat loudly in her chest as she took his arm. Normally she would be way too scared for something like this, but tonight was all about daring to do the unknown!

‘’Ah, I see that he’s alone at the moment.’’ Steve mumbled as he led Emily to the middle of the plaza. ‘’Let’s start with the prof!’’

‘’The prof?’’ Emily asked.

‘’Oh, hah, yeah it’s what we call my friend over there.’’ he pointed in the direction of a boy sitting alone on a log close to the firepit. ‘’He tutors a lot of people so we naturally starting calling him Prof.’’

‘’Hm..’’ Emily wasn’t sure why, but this prof character sparked something in her.

As they got closer she noticed that he was staring at them. Or was he specifically staring at her? Oh dear, did she do something dumb by grabbing this dude’s arm? Or did she look dumb? She was sure she had tamed her hair well enough for it to not poof up too much. Was there something between her teeth? Wait, no way he could see that. She shyly looked to the ground when they got closer, unsure what this feeling was that had been creeping up on her under his gaze.

‘’Prof! I want to introduce you to someone!’’

* * *

The closer she got, the more he felt like he couldn’t tear his eyes away. What was it about this girl? She was pretty for sure, but normally he wouldn’t stare at a lady. Steve could enchant any girl so her being on his arm wasn’t strange either… But why did this feeling of déjà vu grow stronger with every step she took towards him. Who was she?

‘’Prof! I want to introduce you to someone.’’

Hersh quickly rose from his seat and swallowed hard as he waited for… anything to happen. That feeling of déjà vu was centered around this girl, he was sure. She hadn’t looked at him yet. Maybe she felt the same thing?

‘’This is Emily! She’s a first year and wants to meet new people. You’re delighted I’m sure.’’ Steve grinned.

Hersh couldn’t speak. He just waited for her to look at him.

_Would you please...look at me?_

* * *

Emily listened to what Steve said but it didn’t stick. She could feel her knees wobble and sweat had started to form on her forehead. Why was she this nervous?

_Just look up. Just look at him. A little greeting. That’s all. No need to be afraid. He’s just a dude._

She slowly moved her head upwards and felt a bolt of electricity shoot through her the moment she met his eyes. She flinched and saw him do the same. Yet, she couldn’t look anywhere else. The world around them disappeared with a whirlwind. The scenery changed to different settings that she didn’t have memory off. The inside of an office, a dark city filled with mist, a carnival, an island and an icy cave. All the while, he was in the center of it. It all went by so fast, she felt like her head was about to explode. Emily realised she couldn’t breathe. The person opposite was staring back, his mouth agape and his eyes wide.

‘’Uh...you two alright?’’

A hand between them snapped them out of their trance.

‘’Oh…’’ the Prof grabbed a hold of his face. ‘’My apologies. I...I must be tired.’’

Emily looked down to the ground and tried to steady her breathing. What just happened? Who is this person?

‘’I’m sorry my dear,’’

An outstretched hand appeared under her.

‘’What did you say your name was?’’

She carefully looked up, afraid of what would happen if their eyes met again, when she noticed that he had his gaze moved to the side slightly.

He must have seen it too.

She took his hand and shook it.

‘’E-Emily. Nice to meet you.’’

His hand was extremely warm, slightly sweaty, but felt strong.

‘’Emily…? That doesn’t quite suit you.’’

‘’What. The fuck Hersh.’’ Emily could hear Steve say besides her.

_Hersh…?_

So that was his real name. It felt a little off as well… but not completely.

‘’M-my friends call me Em’ or Emmy!’’ Emily blurted out.

‘’Hm…’’ she felt a squeeze in her hand. ‘’Emmy…’’

Something about the way he said her nickname like that… made her heart skip a beat. She pulled her hand out of his grip and averted her gaze to Steve.

‘’Anyone else I should meet?!’’

She really wanted to get out of here. Away from this strange guy. Steve thankfully already had his mind someplace else, completely forgetting what just happened between the two. He started talking about his other friends and moved along. Emily was about to follow him, when…

‘’Sorry about that…’’

She turned to the Prof and flinched a little as their eyes met again. This time, nothing strange happened. They just looked at each other.

‘’D-don’t worry about it, Professor!’’

And with that, she hurried to Steve’s side. Hersh was left behind; every bit of his mind and body confused about what had just happened. Something about her calling him Professor… felt right…


	2. Chapter 2

A month had passed and Emily was having a crisis. Steve, Jenny and Hersh had invited her to a party and she was scared shitless. Ever since she first met the trio, things had started to change. Even though they were all a grade higher, they had become her closest friends. Her own roommate, Faye, had joined the group shortly, making it a little easier for her as well. Jenny, a tall sporty girl with fiery red hair, was flirting with Faye non stop, which was not only funny to watch, but also got Faye to come out of the closet. Group shenanigans aside, Emily also got a lot closer with the Prof.

After their strange first encounter, Steve made sure the two got enough alone time to patch things up. After the fourth of fifth time, Emily had started to feel really comfortable around him. He was kind, smart, pretty wise for his age and made her feel at home within the group. The pillar that she could rely on. But, the party tonight was freaking. Her. Out. It was a second year party, where only second year students were allowed, that Steve and Jenny wanted to try to sneak the first years into. They were determined to show them a good time, but Emily was so scared to get caught. 

Faye had been excited, trying on different outfits and putting on a fashion show as soon as they were out of classes. The first year parties were fun enough, but they just didn’t really hang out with their classmates. Faye had put on 7th outfit of the evening when she finally decided this was going to be the one.

‘’You think that’s the one Jen will like?’’ Emily teased.

Faye’s round head swelled up nice and red like a tomato. Exactly the reaction Emily was going for. She was lucky with Faye as a roommate. Her obsessive collection of star trek stuff was something else, but she loved it when she would go off about it. It was just amazing to see someone be that invested into something they loved. It reminded her of Hersh, when he talked about other civilizations and history and stuff. The maya, the Indus, the Anasazi, he could keep going. That nerd.

‘’Jenny did mention she thought green looked nice on me okay?’’ Faye sighed.

‘’It does!’’ Emily laughed as she rolled over on her bed.

‘’Now, come here, let’s pick out something for you.’’ Faye pulled at her arm.

Emily sighed exasperated and got up to stand next to her roommate in front of the mirror. It was amusing to see how different they were. Faye was way shorter than Emily. They barely had anything in common actually. Emily had lightly tanned skin, Faye dark, Emily had dark brown wavy hair, Faye straight blonde and short, Emily was quite tall and lean while Faye was short and stout. The perfect combo as they put it themselves. Ready for any adventure.

‘’I’ll just wear something casual. You know, in case we need to bail.’’ Emily said in a nervous tone.

‘’Pants it is then. I swear Em’, sometimes you’re gayer than me.’’

Emily laughed hard. She wasn’t really sure about her sexuality yet, since she didn’t really know what it was like to fall in love, but she liked the idea. Once they got ready, Emily and Faye sneaked outside through their window (not without Faye falling into the bush below) and ran over the field of the second year dorm on the other side. 

The university campus was divided up in three little ‘’towns’’ surrounding the school. The first years were placed in Grassvil; The freshly grown crop of grass, as the principal called it. The second years were Bakinfield, where the rising bread mascot roamed the houses. The students lovingly nicknamed the second years: ‘’The yeast infection’’.

The third year's town was called the Flying Burrow; Where the graduates would spread their wings and fly into adulthood. Every town was made up of several large houses with dorm rooms and different commodities inside. The party they were heading for was thrown at a la casa de bun, the third house in the second year’s town. Once they were next to the house, the nervous first years hid behind a few trash cans as they watched the other party goers enter the house through the front entrance. 

‘’Now what?’’ Emily whispered.

Faye was about to answer when-

‘’Hey! What are you two doing there!’’ A booming voice called out from behind them, making the girls jump.

They turned around, ready to give them every excuse in the book, when they heard a roaring laughter follow right after.

‘’You should see your faces!’’ Steve laughed hard as he grabbed a hold of his stomach.

Faye marched up to him and quickly punched him hard in his side, making him tumble onto the grass.

‘’Told ya.’’ Jenny snickered right behind him.

Emily quickly noticed the Prof standing next to her, who was shaking his head disapprovingly. 

‘’Ugh, well now that that’s over, let’s go in!’’ Faye said with a big smile as she took a spot next to Jenny with a few eager bounces.

Emily quirked an eyebrow at her roommate. After Steve had recovered from his predicament, he took the lead and loudly beckoned his friends to follow him. Jenny and Faye followed behind him and Emily took a spot next to the Prof at the back. Which was what she had kind of hoped for.

‘’Did everything go alright on your end?’’ he asked.

She looked up at him and met his gaze. Everytime she did, she kind of expected something to happen, but it never did again.

‘’Yep! No one heard or saw us escape!’’ she replied with a toothy grin.

‘’That’s good.’’ he smiled.

She liked it when he did.

‘’Now comes the difficult part.’’ she sighed.

‘’I’m sure we’ll be fine. Most people know you guys are our friends so I can’t imagine them telling on you.’’

‘’Yeah…’’

Emily could only hope for the best. Even if they did get in, the biggest issue for her would be if she would have fun or not. She hoped she could stay close to the Prof… then she was sure she would.


	3. Chapter 3

Thankfully, everything had gone smoothly. Once they had sneaked their way through the backdoor, Jenny quickly realised that the teachers were still in the living room to check the alcohol and if any first years were present. Steve had flaunted every bit of his fabulousness to distract the teachers while Jenny and Hersh hid their friends in a dorm room for a bit. Hersh and Steve were actually from this house in particular, so they could just use their own room. Jenny was from another house, but knew this one blindfolded from all the times she visited the boys. Faye had been on Jenny’s every move while the Prof and Emily stuck together until they got the go from Steve. Emily didn’t mind. Seeing his room brought her more joy than she expected.

Each person got a queen sized bed with a desk, a closet and a drawer. Steve’s side was surprisingly tiddy but Hersh’s side was actually really messy. He had decorated the wall with articles about different finds about old civilizations, about inventions from different centuries and books scattered about with all his favourite subjects. He had told Emily that he had a soft spot for space as well, which she noticed when she looked at his bed. The sheets were coloured with stars, planets and other constellations. It was really cute.

Once Steve had finally given them the go, everyone scattered through the house to start the party.

* * *

Around two hours had passed when Hersh realised that he hadn’t seen Emmy in a while. He started to look around the house, wondering what had happened to her. In the beginning of the evening, he had promised himself that he would talk to her about what happened when they first met, but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to do it. Now he had lost her completely. He noticed Jenny’s red ponytail in the kitchen and walked over. Faye was standing on her opposite side with a strong blush on her cheeks. She was probably getting tipsy.

‘’Jen, Faye, have you seen Emmy?’’

‘’Oh, now that you mentioned it…’’ Faye looked around the room, a flash of worry apparent on her face.

She must feel guilty for leaving her friend alone. Hersh couldn’t say he didn’t feel the same way.

‘’No, sorry.’’ Jenny answered. ‘’Steve is in the backyard, maybe he has?’’

‘’Thanks.’’ Hersh nodded and started to move the backdoor.

Steve was indeed in the backyard, dancing like a true university white boy in between some other people who had no idea what they were doing either, as Hersh approached. Unfortunately, Steve hadn’t seen her either. He figured she might have tried to escape from that jerk Michael though, is what he said. Hersh could feel some anger bubble up inside of him. Michael was one of the frat boys he didn’t care much for. He liked to bully first years. One day he had expressed that he thought Emily was one ‘’fine piece of ass’’, which made Hersh want to drop his passive behaviour and give him a nice black eye. He didn’t though, because that would only cause more trouble.

He moved through every part of the house next in order to find her. The least he could do was keep her from getting into contact with that jerk, although… if she wanted to… who was he to stop her? He had gone through most floors, every bathroom, the front yard, the living room, the kitchen again and finally the balcony of the second floor, when he spotted Michael. He was talking to some other girl thankfully, but Hersh knew he had to ask.

‘’Have you seen Emily by chance?’’

‘’Are first years even supposed to be here?’’ Michael said with a frown.

Hersh balled his hands into a fist. He hadn’t thought of that. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

‘’Pff, don’t look so mad Prof, yeah I’ve seen her. She keeps avoiding me that’s for sure. Last I saw her, she was lurking on the first floor near the bathroom.’’

The bathroom? But he had already checked… He turned around without another word and walked back inside. He knew it was probably a dead end, but he checked the first floor bathroom anyway.

Empty.

When he walked back out with a sigh, he realised that he was in front of his own room. And… the door was open?

He pushed the door further open slowly, somewhere afraid that people were making out on his bed, when he sighed in relief. On his bed, with her gaze stuck to a piece of paper in her hand, sat Emmy.

‘’My word, I’ve been looking for you everywhere you know.’’ he laughed.

* * *

‘’Oh!’’ Emily flinched and quickly turned around.

Her shoulders relaxed again as soon as she saw the Prof standing in the doorway.

‘’Sorry, I was…’’ She was trying to find the words.

Somewhere during the evening, she had lost everyone. And when that excuse for a guy Michael started to hit on her, she needed to get out. At first she had hidden in the bathroom opposite this room, but when she got out, she had a feeling that she should go in here again. Something was pulling on her. Once she had taken a seat on the bed, something compelled her to take a piece of paper and then… she had kind of zoned out. She had no idea how long she had been in here.

‘’It’s okay.’’ the Prof said while approaching her. ‘’Are you alright?’’

He took a seat next to her on the bed and looked for any sign of distress. Her cheeks were a little flushed but nothing indicated that she drank too much. She still smelled and looked lovely like always. Was that inappropriate to think? He wasn’t sure. He looked at her hands and cocked his head to the side.

‘’I’m fine…’’ she said softly as she stared at him.

He made her feel so at ease, it was insane. Honestly, she barely knew the guy still, but something about him was so… familiar?

‘’What were you reading?’’ he asked with a smile.

She looked down at the paper and frowned. Why did she pick this up again? Did she even read it? The title read: ‘’the Metaphysics of Reincarnation’’.

‘’I guess this?’’

The Prof took the paper from her hand and studied it closer.

‘’I picked this up right after we met I believe...but I’m not sure why.’’

‘’Do you believe in it?’’

‘’In what?’’

‘’Reincarnation.’’

He looked up to her again and blinked a couple of times. He realised that she was actually rather close. Their hips were touching and he could feel the heat radiate off of her. It made him feel strangely mellow.

‘’I...I think so...yeah. Do you?’’

‘’I don’t know. I didn’t before but…’’

‘’But?’’

The question burned on her tongue.

_Haven’t we already met?_

But she couldn’t just ask that....could she? It was such a strange thing to ask; he would be weirded out for sure!

‘’B-but you can’t really prove it!’’ she laughed half-heartedly. ‘’So… you know…’’

* * *

Thankfully he dropped the subject soon after. They put the research away and just started talking about the party, about their friends, about Steve’s ‘’dancing’’, about Faye and Jenny and how they would fit nice together, about Michael being a creep (which made Hersh sigh in relief), about his room, about space… and so many other things until it had grown so late they didn’t even realise that the party was starting to die down below them. They had grown comfortable on the bed, laying next to each other on their back as they just talked and talked.

Emily thought about kissing him everytime he laughed. Hersh thought about kissing her everytime they looked at each other. But they never did. They just enjoyed the night together without a care in the world. Thankfully for them, Steve had passed out in the living room on the couch and Jenny and Faye had retreated back to Jenny’s dorm. So they would at least not be interrupted if they did change their mind about advancing their relationship. A moment of silence had fallen over them, leaving Hersh alone with his thoughts.

He thought about their first meeting and how he had wanted to talk to her about it. Maybe this was the perfect moment? Now that she was this close to him. Laying on his bed.

He turned to her ‘’Emmy, I…’’ but didn’t finish his sentence, as he realised that she had fallen asleep.

She was still laying on her back with her face turned towards him and her eyes closed. She was breathing slowly with her mouth opened slightly. She looked so peaceful. He just stared at her for a moment, trying to relive the feeling he felt that first night. But, it never came. It was replaced with something new and warm. Something that made him want to keep looking at her for the rest of the night, the rest of the week, the rest of the year. He slowly got up and grabbed a blanket from the bin behind his bed. The rooms could grow very cold in the winter, so he always had extra. He gently tucked her in and lay down besides her.

He had never felt this way before and wondered if it was love. After some time, he couldn’t fight the sleep any longer, and drifted off. Something changed in the both of them that night. Something that would progress everything. Emily dreamt of her life as Emmy Altava, while Hersh dreamt of his life as Hershel Layton. They dreamt about meeting, about her becoming his assistant, about Luke, their adventures, about the years they spend together.

The sun had started peaking through the cloudy morning sky when Emily cracked an eye open. She froze as she realised that she was laying right beside the boy she had dreamt about; His warm hand in hers. She didn’t remember them grabbing each other’s hand, but she remembered the dreams. What were those about? Why did it feel… like it was them? It scared her and exhilarated her at the same time. Were they… meant to be? She slowly got up, trying to shift her weight as little as possible so she wouldn’t wake him.

She placed the blanket over him and made for the door. Was this what a walk of shame felt like? Wearing your clothes from the night before, walking back to your room early in the morning after sleeping together with a boy… well, sleeping as in actually sleeping, not, you know. Emily blushed as she was greeted by the cold morning air. She was glad that he had never rushed her. He could’ve easily kissed her or done more that whole night… but… they didn’t. She grabbed her shirt over her heart and sighed. What was holding her back? The meeting? Those strange dreams? Now what…


	4. Chapter 4

A week had passed and the group had started to notice some change in both Em’ and the Prof. They had quickly figured out that they had spent the entire party together, which brought some theories to light about their friendship and where it was heading. But after a few weeks of no progression, something changed again. The two suddenly barely spoke. What the gang didn’t know was what exactly the two had been experiencing since that night at the party. Every night, after they had fallen asleep, the two witnessed the lives of another as if it was their own. Memories they never created. Friendships they never made. Feelings they never experienced.

Emily had started to wonder if her feelings for the Prof were just the result of the other Emmy’s feelings for the Professor. Hersh had started thinking the same. They no longer believed the feelings they had for each other were real. Which was what made them drift apart. They still hadn’t talked about the dreams either. Or about any of the strange happenings of the past few months since they had met. They just didn’t trust themselves.

One night, things turned for the worse. They dreamt of one fateful moment between the Professor and Emmy that changed everything. The betrayal. The revelation of Emmy’s true nature. Emily woke up with a scream as the Emmy in her dreams passed away through the beams of the Azran. Faye woke up as well and hurried to her friend’s side to calm her down.

‘’Bad dream?’’ she asked in a small voice.

‘’Did… did she die?’’ Emily breathed hard.

‘’Who did?’’

‘’I… I did…’’ Emily placed her hands against her face and started to cry.

Why…? Why did she do the things she did? What about her feelings for the Professor? What about their friendship? About Luke? She didn’t understand and completely understood at the same time. After all, she knew what Emmy Altava had been through. She knew what she had felt and what she thought. But still… she couldn’t believe it. Faye tried to calm her roommate down, hoping that there was something she could do.

On the other side of campus, Hersh experienced something similar. He woke up out of breath, the beams of the Azran still fresh in his mind. Steve was a pretty heavy sleeper, much to Hersh’s relief. He didn’t want to be comforted. He didn’t want anyone to know what he had just seen and felt through Hershel Layton. His chest stung painfully when he thought back to Emmy’s betrayal. Why did she betray them…? Betray him…

He didn’t understand. He didn’t want to either.

* * *

After that night, the dreams stopped. Both Hersh and Emily assumed that the other’s from their dreams had passed away, leaving them both with an empty feeling in their hearts. As if agreed upon, they hadn’t seen each other since. A month passed, and their friends had tried to convince them time and time again to see each other, but they always thought of an excuse. Always avoided each other and jumped out of the way to hide if they saw each other in school. The sting from the dream had still not faded, leaving them both feeling miserable.

Sometimes, Hersh thought back to that night when she laid besides him in his bed. About wanting to stroke her cheek and place a kiss on her forehead. Where did that feeling go? He often wondered. He still felt that it was somewhere in his heart… but it was locked away deep down. He didn’t want to get hurt again… betrayed again.

‘’So… you don’t want to go to tonight’s TGIF party?’’ Steve asked carefully.

They were currently in between periods and waiting on Jenny, who was getting a drink with Faye. Faye and Jenny had started dating, which was going swell. They did hate seeing both Hersh and Emily in such states… but they didn’t know what to do. Faye jumped in and out of their group from time to time, sometimes focussing on Emily when she needed to. Emily had shut herself off completely; almost never leaving her dorm room anymore besides for class.

Hersh blamed himself. But he was also a little relieved. He just couldn’t bear to see her.

‘’I don’t know…’’ Hersh sighed.

The group had tried to ploy them into meeting at the TGIF meet-ups before. He wouldn’t put it behind them to try again.

‘’We could also just hang out at The Back if you’d like.’’ Steve smiled.

‘The Back’ is what the cool-kids referred to when they talked about the back of the kitchen of the school. It was a surprisingly nice hang-out spot, complete with a couch, tons and grates to chill and play on and the sweet kitchen lady who would bring out snacks if she was still cleaning the kitchen. Hersh remembered that Emmy never went there. She couldn’t stand the smell of refried beans that lingered there. He smiled a half smile as he remembered her face when they got it for lunch. He quickly shook his head out of the fond thoughts and turned back to Steve.

‘’Alright.’’

‘’Yes!’’ Steve pumped his hands up in the air happily.

‘’Whatsup?’’

Jenny and Faye approached the group from down the stairs with drinks in their hands. Jenny had her arm on top of Faye’s head, making her struggle underneath.

‘’The Prof is ready to party!’’ Steve said in an exaggerated tone.

‘’Nice!’’ said the girls in unison.

Hersh supposed that he needed this. Some time with friends to keep his mind off of...her. That evening, the group gathered behind the kitchen with some drinks, snacks and a good mindset. Hersh sighed relieved as he noticed that Faye was already there. Alone. He felt bad for denying Emily a fun night out, but right now he didn’t want to keep feeling guilty constantly. They sat down and started chatting about stupid nonsense. The atmosphere was light and the weather was great. Things were looking good.

‘’Prof, could you check the kitchen for some goodies?’’

Hersh looked at Steve with a face of displeasure.

‘’Ah come on, don’t look at your buddy like that,’’ he continued to make a pouty face. ‘’You’re the one leaning against the kitchen door, so it’s only fair!’’

Hersh sighed and got up from the floor. ‘’Fine.’’

He turned around, not catching the worried glances his friends shared. Especially Faye, who was sure she was going to get killed later this evening by a certain roommate. Hersh in the meantime, had opened the door and walked inside the dark kitchen. He looked around, not surprised that the staff had already departed. Students weren’t usually allowed inside, but the staff also didn’t care if some crisps went missing. He heard some rumbling further into the room and noticed the TL-light shine from the fridge on the far back.

‘’Sorry about this.’’

The door behind him closed abruptly, leaving him no time to process what had just happened. He recognized Jenny’s voice from before, and wondered why the hell she would lock him in here. He was about to yell out to her, when he heard a fridge door close and a spoon fall to the ground. He turned his head to where he had looked before and felt his breath get stuck in his throat. On the other end, probably planned by their friends, stood the object of his misère.

‘’What...what are you doing here?!’’

‘’I...I…’’ he mumbled, unsure what to do or to say.

There she stood, Emmy, in full pajamas trying to sneak some midnight snack back to her room. She had her hair tied up in a bun and she was even wearing glasses. If he didn’t feel absolutely frightened to talk to her, he would’ve thought it looked cute. She looked around for a way to escape, he noticed. She really didn’t want to talk to him either, did she? Did that mean she saw the dream as well?

‘’Emmy..’’

She stopped in her tracks, right before she was about to start running.

‘’We need to talk.’’

‘’No…’’

He looked at her and watched as tears fell down her cheeks.

‘’No we don’t. Just leave me alone.’’

She was about to take off again, but he knew he couldn’t let her go. He sprinted towards her and grabbed her arm.

‘’I can’t.’’

‘’You… You must hate me…’’

Without thinking, he pulled her towards him so she would face him.

‘’I… don’t.’’

‘’You have to!’’

‘’Why?’’

‘’Because…’’ her arm slacked to her side. ‘’He must have…’’

Before he could respond again, Emmy pulled her arm free and sprinted through the door back inside the building. He was left, feeling alone and confused.

‘’He must have…’’ he repeated.

_But did he?_

* * *

Emily ran to her room as fast as she could. Her heart was beating painfully in her chest and tears were streaming down her face. She had no idea if anyone saw her right now but she didn’t really care. She didn’t expect this to happen tonight. To face him again. It hurt… it hurt so much. Why couldn’t things be as they used to be? Why did they have to suffer these awful dreams? Was one life not enough to live?

She flung herself on her bed and bawled her eyes out hoping that sleep would soon take her. She hoped that the dreams wouldn’t come back. That she would be left alone.

* * *

Hersh was released from the kitchen prison soon after. The gang had been listening from the outside, all very confused about the conversation between them. When he rejoined them, nobody said a thing. They waited for him to speak.

‘’I will be going back now. Thank you for nothing.’’

His words were harsh and cold. Unusual for the Prof who always seemed to understand. They stayed silent and watched him leave. Regret filled all of them that evening; feeling like they had lost their friends entirely.


	5. Chapter 5

Hersh returned to his room and closed the door. He wanted to punch something. To scream in his pillow. But instead, he just sat down on his bed and tried to subdue the anger that he felt. He felt angry mostly at himself for not acting sooner. Maybe he should’ve just talked about it with her. Maybe then they would have understood what was happening to them. But… the dreams… What did they mean? Did it show them an alternate universe? A previous life? He lowered his head to the ground, where his eyes fell on a certain research paper.

‘’Reincarnation…’’ he whispered as he grabbed the paper.

It could’ve been the case. Maybe. He felt so tired. Too tired to read or to think. He needed sleep. To get away from it all for just a moment. Maybe he would have a nice dream about her, like he had had before. Where they laughed together, made fun together, went on adventures together. That would be nice. He closed his eyes and dozed off quickly. Which, someone else did as well, at the same time.

* * *

A rumble ended the evening abruptly, giving the remaining trio no reason to stay at The Back. They had talked about everything, but felt like giving up. When the first drops started to fall, Faye gave Jenny a kiss and Steve a hug.

‘’Everything will work out. I’m sure.’’ she tried to reassure them.

They smiled back at her with sorrow in their eyes. They could only hope she was right. When they walked home, a storm followed. Rapid winds, harsh rain, lighting and thunder filled the skies. They hadn’t expected it, but it felt right. Turbulent weather during turbulent times.

When Steve opened the door to their dorm, he expected an angry friend. Or maybe even an angry stranger. But, the Prof was already fast asleep. He looked at him for a moment before closing the curtains. He hoped he slept well tonight.

Faye returned to the dorm as well with the same expectations. She expected to be chewed out or ignored. But, Em’ was also already asleep with puffed up eyes and a frown on her face, couldn’t say a word. Faye adjusted the sheets a bit so she would be covered better. She hoped her friend would still be her friend tomorrow.

* * *

They both dreamt of waking up again after they thought they had died. They both dreamt of saying goodbye. She hugged him, knowing fully well that she might never return. He didn’t hug her back…

Before she finally walked out of the door, he stopped her.

‘’Why did you do it?’’

Emily watched in pain as Emmy turned back to the Professor with a blank expression.

‘’Because I had to.’’

The Professor’s face distorted. A fight broke out and both parties started to shout. Something snapped in the Professor. His feelings betrayed. He said something about never being able to trust her again. She said something about not needing it. When she did… she broke down crying.

Hersh watched in pain as his beloved ran out of the door in tears. He didn’t want her to go. He didn’t want her to stop being by his side. And yet, his feet were stuck to the ground. The windows whistled behind him while his tophat shielded his eyes. He should go after her. He should pin her down, confess his love and never let her go. But he can’t. She didn’t want to stay. He wasn’t important enough to her.

Emily watched as she rushed outside into the cold rain. It felt painful yet refreshing. She was finally free. Free from her duty to spy on the Professor. Free from Targent. Free from Bronev even though she had always thought he would stick by her side. She could do whatever she wanted, except for the one thing she wanted most. She wanted to run back inside and pin him down, confess her love and never let go. But she can’t. He doesn’t trust her anymore. It’s all over.

Hersh and Emily both felt like the dream had to be over as the memories faded to black… but they didn’t stop. They didn’t wake up.

Emily opened her eyes and realised she was somewhere high in the sky; Her trusty plane carrying her through the dark clouds. She clenched her teeth and gripped tightly onto the wheel. The wind was so strong… too strong. She watched no longer through her eyes, but from above as Emmy Altava lost control over the plane.

Hersh opened his eyes and found himself at home. He had taken a day off to reflect all that had happened. He still had to process any of it and it would prove to be difficult. Luke had offered to come over but he had asked him to stay home. He didn’t want anyone around right now. He needed to think. A knock on the door snapped him out of his train of thought. He answered, a faceless police officer standing in the rain. Hersh was no longer watching through his eyes but from above, as Hershel Layton received the news of his assistant’s passing.

He blamed himself.

* * *

Emily woke up in panic and immediately lunged herself out of bed, without the knowledge of Hersh doing the same. She was not out of breath, nor was she crying. She felt steady and calm. She looked to her roommate who was still asleep. The clock read 03.56, still in the dead of night. She grabbed her coat and walked outside of the room. Something was driving her. Something was pushing her. No-one was around thankfully as she scaled the stairs and made for the front door. She stopped for a moment and thought about what she was doing.

‘’Is this rational?’’ she mumbled.

It had to be. It felt like Emmy herself was pushing her to keep walking. To find him. She opened the door and was greeted with a cold breeze, but the nightair didn’t chill her. She felt warm. With every step she took, she felt something fill her every fiber. Something that made her walk faster, made her breathe fast and hiccup as tears started appearing in the corner of her eyes. As she stood on the edge of the plaza, a silhouette appeared on the other side in the darkness.

Every bit of anxiousness, of sadness, of happiness and love came pouring back into her as she started running. The figure reciprocated as they rushed towards each other.

Warm arms soon embraced her as she buried her face in his chest. This was all she had ever wanted.

‘’I can’t believe we found each other…’’

Emily leaned back and looked him in his own tear filled eyes.

‘’We never got to make up.’’ she smiled.

Hersh laughed and leaned his forehead against Emily’s.

‘’I missed you, Emmy. I’m so sorry.’’

‘’It wasn’t your fault.’’ she whispered.

She knew he must have blamed himself. After their fight. After everything that had happened. They opened their eyes and stared at each other.

‘’Can we be together now? In this life?’’ he asked softly.

‘’Please…’’

He leaned forward and finally kissed her. He had been wanting to do this for lifetimes. For both Hershel and Hersh deserved to be with her.

* * *

The next morning, Steve was so surprised to find Emmy in the Prof’s bed that he did a double take and then fell over. They had some explaining to do. That night, they couldn’t just go back to their own dorms after all that. They had to talk. And kiss. They had to kiss a lot. They stayed outside for the longest time, both explaining what they had seen in their dreams and everything around it. They felt ashamed for being so child-ish during the past month, especially for their friends, but now everything was alright again. Even better than that.

After they felt like they discussed everything, the sun had started rising. Emily still didn’t want to go back. She wanted to stay with him, so he invited her over to his dorm. It would be a little dangerous, but they didn’t care. They just wanted to hold each other when they fell asleep. The first peaceful sleep they had in months.

They of course sort of explained what happened between them to their friends the next day, and made the relationship official. From that moment on, they both believed very strongly in the concept of reincarnation; for they had found each other in another life, when they couldn’t in the previous.


End file.
